Apparatus for drying and conditioning grain and similar granular substances



Mar. 3, 1925. 4 1,528,696

W. N. ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN ANDSIMILARGRANULAR SUBSTANCES FilbdFeb. 9, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lrrarn frMar. 3. 1925.

' ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN s Sheets-Sheet 2I IAND SIMILAR GRANULAR SUBSTANCES Filed Feb. 9, 1924 f haw y W. N.APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN Mar; 3, 1925.

ROBINSON AND SIMILAR GRANULAR SUBSTANCES Filed Feb. 9. 1924 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Y l lll l ll 1L1 H x 0 Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT FFIQE,

WILFRID NIELD ROBINSON, OF ROCHDALE, ENGLAND ASSIGNOR TO THOIVIAS ROBIN-SON & SON LIMITED, OF ROCHDALE, ENGLAND, A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY OFENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN AND SIMILAR- GRANULARSUBSTANCES.

Application filed February 9, 1924. Serial No. 691.709.

'1 0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WVILFRID NIELD ROBIN- soN, a subject of the KingofEngland, and residing at Rochdale, in the county of Lancaster,England, have invented Improvements in or Connected with Apparatus forDrying and Conditioning Grain and Similar Granular Substances, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has reference to apparatus or machinery for drying orconditioning grain or similar substances, of the kind in which the grainor material in its fall or flow between upper and lower portions of theapparatus or machine, is caused to pass over internally heated devices,i. e. a series of interconnected vessels, generally called radiators,which are heated internally by a heating fluid; and the objects andeifects of the present invention are to provide improvements inconnection with such appara- (us or machines, by whichfthe effect asregards the treating or conditioning of the bulk of the material passedthrough the machine is rendered uniform, and the output or capacity of agiven size or cost of apparatus is rendered relatively high; whilst afurther object is to provide a construction which is inexpensive, andwhich is simple, and the time taken for erection or installation isrelatively small.

Generally, in apparatus of the kind referred to, it is found that theeffect of the treatment on the material is non-uniform, so that thecondition of the grain or material delivered is of an uneven condition,some of which being relatively unconditioned, and the other conditioned,and this is obviated by this invention, by rendering it uniform.

In connection with the drying or conditioning apparatus and the mode oftreatment hereinafter described, the improvements under this inventionare comprised.

Between the radiators, which may consist of a multiplicity ofinterconnected hollow vessels, sets of which are arranged in parallel intiers, spaces exist between the more or less flat sides (which arenarrowed towards the edges) through which the grain or material passesdown in streams, in its treatment.

The apparatus or machine according to this invention is so constructedor arranged that all the streams of the body of the material (which isdivided into a multiplicity of streams) are caused to be acted upon bythe hot surfaces of the radiators and heated, to accomplish which, someof the streams or parts of the body of material passing down through theapparatus are controlled by means hereinafter explained, and directed ordiverted, so that noparts of the body or streams of thei'naterialareacted upon by the heating surfaces of the ra diators, some of whichotherwise would pass in columns or streams down through the apparatuswithout coming into contact with, or being properly acted upon by, theheating surfaces. This isprevented in this machine or apparatus, and theliow of the whole body of the material is so controlled, that all partsof it must become, and are, acted upon, and a uniform result ofcondition and treatment of the material is accomplished.

The controlling or directing or diverting means referred to may consistin providing over the adjacent upper edges of the ad jacent parallelsets of the interconnected radiators, plates or angle ridge devices,resting on the top edges of the radiators at each of the adjacent sideedges of the sets, so that the grain or material will be controlled anddirected in its flow or fall, away from these edge parts of theradiators, towards their centres, and thus are brought into the portionof the surface of same from which a relatively large quantity of heat isbeing given off or radiated, and which in the adjacent radiators arerelatively close together.

Further, in apparatus or machines of the kind referred to, the grain ormaterial to be treated is passed in a plurality of comparatively narrowor thin streams down through conduits at the upper part of theapparatus, and the grain in passing through these conduits is subjectedto the direct action of and cont-act with hot air which passes throughit; and this air is of a relatively high temperature, say up to 180Fahr, and is heated by a heater external to the apparatus, preferably asteam heated air heater, prior to delivery to the "radiator" portionbelow, and is forced through the streams of material by an air forcingapparatus, preferably a suction fan; and by the employment of relativelyhot air, wet grain or like material, or grain or material containing arelatively large percentage of moisture or that requiring to be dried toa very low, moisture content, the degree of drying required can beaccomplished.

The heating medium supplied to the radiator sections consists of hotwater, heated by a water heater or heat interchanger, in which the heatis supplied by steam from a steam generator; and this water is supplied.to the various radiator sections at the required temperature, andreturned from them to the water heater to receive a further increment ofheat, and s0 is continuously cir culated by natural circulation.

Air is also passed through these radiator sections or chambers, andthrough the. ma terial passing down through them, such air being forcedthrough them, and the stream of material falling through them, say bythe suction fan above referred to.

At the bottom of the apparatus,.a part or section is provided in whichthe material is cooled by air at atmospheric temperature, and is in theform of narrow conduits, through which relatively thin streams of ilOtgrain or material fall or flow; and while flowing through these conduitsthe air is caused to pass, or is forced throu h it, say by the samesuction fan above reterred to.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, and it will befurther described with reference to them.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, showing the completeapparatus diagrammatically.

Figure 2 is a section through one of the radiator sections, showing theimprovements connected with these sections of th s radiator portion ofthe apparatus or machine; Figure 3 is an elevation of same, and Figure lis a plan.

Figure 5 is a vertical section showing the construction of the upper airheating and drying part.

Generally 1 represents the portion ofthe apparatus at the top in whichthe material is treated or dried by direct contact and action of hotair; 2 represents generally the section or portion of the apparatus inwhich the material is subjected to surface and radiant heat byinternally heated radiators; and 3 represents the lower section or partin which the hot material from the radiator sect on is treated bycontact with air of atm'spheric temperature.

4 is the heater for heating the air for use in the air drying section ofthe apparatus; 5 is the heater for heatin water used in the radiatorsections 2; ant 6 represents the steam generator for supplying heatingsteam to the air heater 1, and water heater 5.

7 is the suction fan for forcing air through the streams of grain ormaterial passing down through the conduits in the drying section 1; forforcing atmospheric air through the different sections or parts of theradiator part 2 for absorbing or taking up and carrying off moisturefrom the hot grain;

' and for forcing air at atmospheric temperature through the streams ofgrain falling through the section 3.

The conduits through which the grain or material passes in narrow orthin streams through the hot air treatment in section 1 are marked 10,grain being supplied to the upper parts of same, through hopper shapedmouths, shown, to which it is distributed in any known suitable way, sothat they are supplied with material which will charge them allnnifornily. 11 is the general supply hopper of the apparatus.

A form of construction of the conduits 10 is given in Figure 5, in whichthe walls of the conduit are provided with apertures 12 and internalinclined shelves 18, and the air enters the streams through theapertures at one side, and leaves through those at the other, and itpasses from one conduit to another through the chambers 14, which hebetween the conduits. This section 1 is divided into an upper or lowerportion by a floor or diaphragm 15, so that there are two chambers intowhich separate supplies of hot air will be supplied by two hot airsupply pipes 16.

The air, carrying with it the moisture tal'cn up. is conducted from theupper part 10f the apparatus, by pipes 17 to a. general air main 18,connected to the air intake of the fan 7: and it is conducted away fromthe chambers or sections of the radiator part 2, by conduits or branchpipes 19 connected with the main 18, and air inlets 19 which are ontheopposite side to the conduits or pipes 19. Both these inlets 19 and theconduits 19 extend along the whole of the sides of the differentsections of the apparatus, and atthe lower portions of same, viz,beneath the lower set of radiators of the sections which are supportedon the transverse beams marked 47". Thus this air passes through thestream or streams of material in flowing from the lower set of radiatorsof each section .or chamber, to the next one below.

The cooling section 3 is similarly formed as regards the air supply andform of conduits as that of the hot air portion 1, viz, it is formed ofa number of narrow conduits 21 with hopper shaped upper openings. andspaces 22 between them; and the walls of these conduits 21 may beassumed to be of the same construction as those described with referenceto Figure in connection with .thehot air section 1. The air afterpassing through the conduits 21 and the streams of material flowingthrough them, is conducted by pipes 23 to the general rising air main18; and the dried and cooled grain or material is delivered from theapparatus by the discharge hopper shoot 24.

The whole casing or body of the apparatus or machine may be built up insections from top to bot-tom similarly to those shown in Figures 2 to 4.

The hot air supplied from the air heater 4 may be raised to atemperature of from zero to 180 Fahr. by steam supplied to it; and thisheater may beof tubular or other known kind of gaseous fluid heatinterchanger, the heat being transferred from the walls of the tubes orthe like, through which the steam or air is passed, as the case may be,and so transferred to the air.

Similarly the water heater 5 may be of any known suitable type of heatinterchanger, in which the heatof steam is transferred to water in aclosed circulating systerm.

The radiators are marked 30, and in Figures 2 to 4 their centralportions 31 project from their sides (which are flat with curved'edges)and these parts 31 in the adjacent radiators abut against one another,and are connected together at this point, preferably above and below byferrules 82 fitting in the holes 33.

34 are the water supply branches of the tiers or radiators in eachsection; and 35 are the water discharge branches; while the pipes 36connect the lower'and upper tiers together. 37 and 38 are the pipes towhich the branches 34 and 35 are connected, and which are connected tovertical main water supply and discharge pipes 39 and 40 respectively. iV

The directing means connected with the radiators 30 in the case shown,consist of ridge shaped or inclined devices 42, extending across thecasing 43, the lower edges of which rest on the upper edges of theadjacent radiators, and therefore direct the columns or streams of grainor material falling down, onto parts of the surface of the radiatorswhich lie in the planes between these edges, and the projections orbosses 31 of the radiators. Normally, and without such controlling ordirecting means, spaces of considerable area vertically will existbetween the edges of each pair of radiators of an interconnected set,and a pair adj acent to them; such space is marked 44 in Figure 4, andthe area is indicated by the arrow headed cross lines.

Vithout these controlling means, the streams of grain will flow at thesepoints 44, from the top of the apparatus to the bottom in columns ofconsiderable cross section, so that the bulk of such columns, or largeportions thereof, can pass through the apparatus without being properlyheated and conditioned, and at a greater rate than that passing in.streams over other parts of the radiator.

Depending from the distributors or directors 42, are divisions 45extending from side to side of the apparatus, similarly to the ridgedevices 42, which assist in or promote the directing and keeping of thegrain in contact with or near the surfaces of the radiators; and asimilar device to 45, marked 46, lies between the adjacent edges of thelower tier of a pair beneath the hollow beams 47, which rest on theupper edges of the lower radiators, and support the upper radiatorsabove, and which also direct and prevent the grain from flowing out ofcontact with the heating parts of the radiators and bring it under theinfluence of the part of their surfaces away from their edges.

Thus, in a line between the top of each section consisting of one, twoor more tiers of radiators and their bottom, there are the controllingand directing upper devices 42, the devices 45 below same, the bearers47 which divert the streams from the planes between the radiators, andthe plate devices 46.

By the special construction shown a highly advantageous manner ofcarrying out the invention is provided, by which the objects and effectsabove referred to are accomplished.

hat is claimed is 1. Apparatus for drying or conditioning grain orsimilar substances, comprising an upper part adapted to cause thematerial to pass through it in streams and to permit air to be passedthrough said streams, an air heater connected with said part for heating the air supplied to it; a section below same containing amultiplicity of internally heated vessels over they external surfaces ofwhich the material from the upper part flows or passes in its descentthrough the apparatus or machine, and air inlet and outlet openings inthe walls of the part adapted to permit the passage of air through sameand the material.

2. In apparatus for drying or conditioning grain or similar substances,the combination of an air contact heating section comprising a pluralityof conduits adapted to conduct the material in streams, having aperturesin same for the passage of air through said streams; a surface heatingsection, comprising a multiplicity of internally heated devices overwhich the material passes; an air moving apparatus connected with theair contact heating part, and with the surface heating part, adapted toforce air through the streams of material in the conduits in the upperpart, and also through the streams passing over the surface heating partbelow.

ing conduits through which the material passes in streams, connectedwith said heater; and a water heating apparatus, both airand waterheaters being heated artificially.

4. Apparatus for drying and conditioning grain or granular substances,comprising an air contact heating section having conduits through whichthe material passes, and a section below, ha ing a, multiplicity ofinternally heated devices over which the streams of material pass,wherein grain or material controlling or directing means are provided atpoints over the adjacent edges of adjacent sets of internally heateddevices, and adapted to divert or direct the material from the spacesbetween the edges of said devices to parts of such devices within theedges. 7 I

5.'Apparatus for drying and conditioning'grain or granular substances,comprising an air, contact'heating section havingconduit-s through whichthe material passes. and a section below having a multiplicity oiinternally heated devices over which the streams of material pass,wherein grain or inaterial deflecting and directing devices are employedover the edges of the upper tier of said devices at the planes where thespaces between the different sets come; and means between the adjacentedges of the sets of devices of the lower tier, so as to cause the grainor the like to come under a uniform heating effect by the; heatingdevices; substantially as described; I 6. In apparatus for drying orconditioning grain or similar granular substance, comprising incombination a section forming th pp r tp rt- Q theappamtu and towhichfthe cold and moist grain is first introduced, having conduitsthrough which the grainis passed adapted to permit hot air to; bepassedthrough. the -gr ain or the likein its fall orflow,'- a metal surfaceheating section intermediately,below the hot air treating section,comprisinginternally heat-Q ed devices over which the streams ofgrain ormaterial pass, and an air, heating apparatus external to ,and connectedvith the uppermost sectionand adapted 'to -heat the air to the requiredtemperature supplied to same.

7. In apparatus for, drying or conditioning grain or .similar granularsubstances comprising in combination an air heating section havingconduits througlrwhich the grain is, passed adapted toipermit air to bepassed through the, grainor thelikein its fall or flow; a surfaceheating section below the air heating or drying sectioncomprisinginternally heated devices over .which the stream of grain or materialpass, and an air,

heating apparatus external to and connected with the upper air heatingsection and adapted to heat the air to the required temperature suppliedto same, and Water heater external to the sections having the internallyheated devices, and connected with different parts of same, the Wateradapted to pass or circulate through the water heaterv

